Art of vaporizing medicaments and other materials



March 15, 1938. s. M. COE f 2,111,206

- ART OF VAPORIZING MEDICAIVUSNTS AND OTHER MATERIALS lFiled Aug. lO, 1956 2 ShebS-Sheet l /Oo 7 2 0 s Mmzzx :L f, i /50 ATTORNEY March 1'5, 1931s. s, M, COE 2,111,206

ART OF VAPORIZING MEDICAMENTS AND OTHER MATERIALS Filed Augt 10, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORN EY 'Patented Mu. 15, 193s PATENT OFFICE ABT F VAPOBIZING MEDICAMENTS AND OTHER MATERIALS Simeon M.'Coe, Madison, Wis., assigner of onehalf to Harlow Pease, Wanwatosa, Wis.

Application Aam: 1o. 1936, serial No. 95,298 12 claims. (ci. 21a- 40) This invention relates to improvements in the art of vaporizing medicaments and other materials.

`It is the primary object of the invention to I provide an improved device and method for -vaporizing certain materials which are apt to coagulate at the surface when vaporized between ordinary immersion type electrodes. It is my objective to provide for the evaporation of the l0 liquid almost entirely' in the surface stratum thereof, whereby the agitation and movement incident to the evaporation will break up any coagulation, and will also tend to prevent de'- posits on the walls of the container, and will make impossible the bridging of solids upon electrodes which in `many devices short circuits the electrodes and prevents the normal function of the device.l

Other objects pertain to details of construction and will appear more fully from the followf ing disclosure. l

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in axial section of a Vaporizing device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modified construction of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a view in axial section showing a still further modified embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is aview in transverse section taken on the line 4--4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the iioat used in the Figure 2 construction.

Figure 6 shows, in plan, a modied embodiment of float usable in the Figure 2 construction.

Like parts are identified by the same reference l characters throughout the several views.

The container 1 holds a body of vaporizable liquid such as those inhalants used in respiratory diseases. The level of the liquid in the container will vary in use, and at the moment stands at the point indicated in Figure 1. The container has a discharge spout l for the vapors and a closure l which may be removed for the insertion of additional supplies of liquid. l

Below the closure the mouth of the vessel is bridged by a conductor Il, from which depends a conductor I l which is preferably helically coiled u but has no particular resilience and serves merely to convey the current to a spherical float I2.

Resting on the bottom of the container 1 is a tubularvelectrode I5 having slots IB at frequent `intervals to permit free movement of the liquid u to the interior of the electrode. At three or more points about the interior of the tubular electrode I5 I provide guides I8 of insulating material which define the vertical path of movement of the spherical float I2 and determine the minimum spacing of such oat from the tubular electrode l5.

An insulated conductor I9 is connected with electrode I5, and the bridge conductor I0 and the electrode conductor I9 are both led to a conventional electrical receptacle 20, to which an extension cord may be applied to impress the usual lighting circuit of III! to I2II volts upon the electrodes I2 and I5.

Since the greatest diameter of the float will be at or near the surface of the liquid, and since this portion of the float will approach most closely to the tubular electrode I5, it will be apparent that practically all of the current traversing the body of liquid in the container 'I will pass through such liquid in the stratum thereof substantially at the surface. The heating effect occasioned by the resistance of the liquid will therefore produce great agitation and ebullition in this surface stratum in the evaporation of the liquid.

The resulting movement of the liquid will prevent any bridging of solids between the electrodes such as might otherwise occasion short circuiting, and I have found devices employing this principle can be operated successfully in liquids of such density that they would speedily incrust and stop the operation of a conventional immersion type evaporator heater.

In the construction shown in Figure 2 the container 1I differs only in form from that already described. The conventional electrical receptacle 2li is mounted on a member IIN which spans the mouth of the container immediately below the cover SII. In this construction both of the electrodes are floated, electrode IZB being mounted on a disk-like central float I2I, and electrode ISI being mounted on an annular concentric float I5I. The respective floats may be connected by the spacers 22, and the leads 23 and 2l may be used to connect the electrodes |20 and |50 respectively with the helically coiled and substantially non-resilient conductors III and III which are supplied with current from the receptacle 20. This gives an arrangement which is mechanically balanced so that insofar as the conductors III spaced, and in this instance each. electrode is of from, will prevent incrustation until substantially all of the vaporizable material has been eliminated from the contents of the container 1|.

'I'he device shown in Figure 3 vis very similar to that shown in Figure l, but in this device all portions of the electrical apparatus are assembled upon the closure 8i, which may be interchangeably positioned in any suitable vessel '|2. The electrical receptacle 20| has connections to the tubular electrode |52 and through the helical conductor, I Ill to the spherical oating electrode I2 in the, manner already described.

The device shown in Figure 6 may be used y interchangeably with the float shown lin Iiigure,

5 in the apparatus shown in Figure 2. The electrodes |22 and |52 are tubular concentric helices, closed at their ends to comprise oats and maintained in spaced relation by the tie member 25 to which the successive turns of each helix are connected. At points substantially equidistant from the center I may provide terminals 230 and 2 to which the helical conductors ilii and ||I of Figure 2 may be secured.

' The several helical conductors herein described have been referred to as being substantially without elasticity, but it will be understood that they have sufllcient elasticity to resume their form after they have been tensioned by the downward movement of the float. They do not, however, have sufilcient elasticity to have any appreciable lifting eil'ect on the oat, and in each instance the iloat will therefore preferably establish an electrical conducting path through the liquid in the apparatus in the stratum o! the liquid immedlateLv adjacent the surface.

I claim:

1. A method oi vaporizing liquid for medicinal purposes, which method consists in passing a current through a stratum of said liquid immediately adJacent the surface thereof in sumcient intensity to heat such stratum to the point of vaporization independently of other portions of said li'quid.

2. In a device o! the character described, the combination with a tubular electrode and a iioat electrode reciprocable therein, of means spacing said electrodes, and means providing electrical connections respectively thereto.

3. In a device oi' the characterdegrihed, the combination with -a container for vnporizable v liquid, oi' a relatively xed tubular electrode havspacing said electrodes, and means i'or providing yelectrical'connections thereto. r

ing at least a portion'arranged for immersion in the liquid insaid container, a spherical electrodeadaptedtoiioatonsuchliqmdandpositioned within the tubular electrode, means for 4.1n s device of me charmer denbemi receptacle for. medicinal liquids provided with a `vent for the discharge o! vapor'in combination with means providing electrical connections mounted on said receptacle, a iioat comprising an electrode a flexible connection with one oi saidelectrical connections, and a complementary electrode` encircling said neat and ilxed in said receptacle and provided with a conductor'leading to another oi' said electrical con-y nections.- said complementary electrode having iloat.

dielectric means for guiding and positioning said 5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a receptacle for a liquid to be vaporized for medicinal purposes, said receptacle being provided with a vent for the discharge of the vapor of such liquid and having electrical terminals, of a ,iioat of convex form having its greatest diameter no lower than the level oi the liquid upon which said iloat is buoyant, the iioat comprising an electrode and being provided with a ilexible connection to one of said terminals, means providing a complementary electrode extending at least as high as the surface of liquid in said receptacle, and provided with a connecvtion to the other of said terminals, whereby the current passing between said electrodes will be ccncentrated at the surface tllm oi' the medicated liquid in said receptacle.

6. In a device ot the character described, the combination with a vented receptacle for 'a medlcated liquid, said receptacle being provided with electrical terminals, of an electrode comprising a. iloat buoyant upon the medicated liquid in said receptacle, and having a bottom upwardly convex toward a point at least as high as the level of such liquid, whereby the maximum wetted diameter of the iloat will be no lower than such level, and a second electrodel having portions disposed about the periphery of said iloat at the liquid level in said receptacle, means supporting said second electrode from said receptacle, and

means connecting said second electrode with one of said terminals, said second electrode being provided with an opening between said portions for the circulation between said electrodes of the liquid in said receptacle.

7. In a device or the character described, the combination with a vented container for vaporlzable liquid. of a float having a submerged portion increasing in cross section to a maximum at least as high as the level oi the liquid in said receptacle on which the iloat is buoyant, said float comprising an electrode, a second electrode having portions peripheraliy spaced about said iloat, and means connecting said portionsy in spaced relation to permit liquid circulation therebetween, electrical connections to the respective electrodes, and means for guiding. said oat whereby to maintain it in spaced position between the portions oi the second electrode.

8. In a device oi the character described, the

combination with a vented receptacle provided i with a iilling opening and a closure therefor, oi electrical terminals mounted on said receptacle,

a iloat in ,said receptacle comprising an electrode -vremovable through said opening and electrically connected with one of said terminals, a. tubular tenninals,midtubularelectrodebeingaveltured iorthedrculationoiliquidtherethmand means, and the other 4oi said electrodes comprising a float guided by said means to rest upon the surface of the liquid in said receptacle; a bridge spanning the opening of said receptacle, a flexible electrical connection to said iioat supported by said bridge, and a separate electrical connection to the rst mentioned electrode. v

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a receptacle provided with an opening, a closure for said opening, and an open vent, of means spanning said receptacle immediately beneath said closure, a pair of electrodes receivable into said receptacle through said opening, at least one of said electrodes comprising a iloat, and electrical connections to said electrodes,

'at least one of said connections being flexibly expansible and supported by means spanning the opening of said receptacle.

12. In a device of the character described, the 10 combination with a receptacle, of an electrode iioat therein,`a second electrode having portions spaced from each other about the periphery of said oat, means for suspending the secondv electrode from the receptacle, and electrical connec- 15 tions to the respective electrodes.

SIMEON M. COE. 

